The present invention relates to a scooter, and more particularly, to a self propelled scooter that can be propelled by the weight of the user applied at periodic time intervals to the scooter.
There are, of course, a considerable number of different scooters that are in use and which have been proposed for adults or children to use as pleasure vehicles and recreation. Of course the classic scooter is simply comprised of a frame that extends between two wheels and those wheels are rotatably affixed to the frame by means of axles that are affixed to the frame at fixed spaced apart locations and such axles are positioned at the center of the circular wheels. Accordingly, the user can maintain one foot on a footboard area of the frame intermediate the wheels and use the other foot to make intermittent contact with the ground to push the scooter forwardly.
Aside from the traditional scooter, however, there are also other scooters that can be self-propelled in the sense that there is some mechanism built into the scooter that can be activated by the foot of the user to employ the weight of the user to produce a force to propel the scooter forwardly. An example of such a scooter is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,086,795 of Hatcher et al where the footboard of the scooter is affixed to the rear wheel at an axle position that is offset from the center of the rear wheel so that the user can shift his weight up and down in a pumping action to propel the scooter over the ground. By such motion, therefore, the scooter can be, in a manner, self-propelled by the user without the normal intermittent contact with ground. A difficulty with the Hatcher et al scooter, however, is that the user cannot easily coast since the eccentric position of the rear axle will continue the up and down motion as long as the scooter is moving over the ground and is not efficient for coasting.
A further example of a self-propelled scooter is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,724 of Greenwood where an additional axle is provided that is separately propelled by a rocking lever that cooperates with the offset mechanism in the rear wheel to move the scooter forwardly without need of the user having to make the intermittent contact with the ground. Again, however, there would seem to be no way to coast with the Greenwood scooter since the lever action would continue to move up and down as the user moves the scooter.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to have a scooter that would be relatively easy to manufacture and assemble and which is propelled by the user by some offset axle mechanism that utilizes the weight of the user to bring about the forward motion of the scooter while, at the same time, also have the ability of the user to simply coast so that the user can take advantage of the speed achieved to rest or in riding the scooter down a hill and the up and down pumping is not needed to move the scooter forwardly.
Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a specially constructed scooter that combines the features of a self propelled scooter with the ability to simply coast on the scooter and not continue the pumping action.
Accordingly, with the present scooter, there are a pair of circular wheels that ride on the ground as the scooter is propelled. There is a scooter frame that extends between the wheels and each wheel has an axle with which the wheels are affixed to the frame so that the wheels are rotatably affixed to that frame. A footboard is provided on the frame intermediate the wheels for the rider to place one or both feet in riding the scooter.
One of the wheels, preferable the rear wheel, has a mechanism that allows the user to selectively move the axle from the center of the rear wheel to an offset or eccentric position that is radially displaced with respect to the center of the wheel. As such, the user can selectively move the axle to which the frame is connected between two positions i.e. a first position located at the center of the wheel so that the user can easily and efficiently coast on the scooter and a second position that is offset or eccentric with respect to the center of the wheel so that the user can employ the pumping action and use the weight of the user to propel the scooter forwardly. In addition, the scooter of the present invention is useful as an exercise device as the pumping motion technique is conducive to providing exercise to the user in a fun environment.
Other features of the self-propelled, multi-axle scooter will become apparent in light of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.